Mayoral candidate Cody Cacciotti and supporters started off the week greeting commuters at Ramsey Lake Road and Paris Street.

“It was a really fun way to start the day and great to see so many smiles from the drivers,” Cacciotti said in a release. “I’ve spent the last couple of months discussing the serious issues that are facing our city, and it was really nice to take an hour and share some smiles.”

The event was followed by Cacciotti’s weekly #CoffeeWithCody at Twiggs on the Kingsway and canvassing through several neighbourhoods in Coniston. #CoffeeWithCody is an open meeting held each Monday morning at a different coffee shop in Great Sudbury.

The candidate also released his platform this week. In it he stresses the city “is unsustainable with regard to infrastructure” and must expand its tax base in order to stabilize tax increases.

“To do so, we must promote an environment that will encourage growth and break down barriers preventing economic opportunity,” he states in his platform. “There is a need to review processes related to development and ensure the municipality is indeed business-friendly.”

On the subject of leadership, Cacciotti writes that the city “needs a clear vision for the future. To accomplish this, citizens must elect a mayor who is proactive rather than reactive. Greater Sudbury requires a leader who can leverage assets, coordinate resources, identify trends, and unite the entire city under a common goal of growth and progress.”

The candidate also emphasises co-operation.

“Citizens must elect a mayor that will work collaboratively with council and staff to encourage further participation from all communities across the city,” he says in his platform.

“Having an active presence in neighbourhoods and with community groups in all areas of the city must be a priority moving forward.”

Cacciotti promises to hold “ongoing dialogue and open discussion through regularly scheduled community forums.”

He also says there is “a profound need to change the culture within the city of Greater Sudbury,” and to “foster an environment where services are solution-driven and customer-focused, especially when promoting economic growth. Municipal workers should be encouraged to use their skill sets to enable development and help drive the community forward.”

In regard to economic development, Cacciotti argues the city “must commit to further facilitating the process of establishing new opportunities for developers, business owners and entrepreneurs, making Greater Sudbury the place of choice for business development.”

In order to provide taxpayers with the best value for their tax dollars, the candidate says the municipality “must institute better co-ordination of services between departments. An environment of co-operation and teamwork among workers will ensure citizens are getting the best product possible.”

Efficiencies should be found “in terms of developing new economic opportunities by updating the way in which the municipality conducts business. (i.e. technology and innovation),” he maintains.

“The city must ensure it has shovel-ready projects, in order to capitalize on grants and tax-friendly sources of funding so that there is improved investment for infrastructure.”